County Health Rankings 2010

For Immediate Release: Monday, February 22, 2010

Health of Washington County Residents High According to National Survey

The 2010 County Health Rankings, a national survey of the health of counties all over the United States, was released on February 17, 2010. Washington County ranked second compared to the 33 ranked counties in Oregon for "Health Outcomes," a measure of overall health by death and illness rates in the county, and third for "Health Factors," community characteristics that influence the health of county residents.

The County Health Rankings also show how Washington County ranks on individual factors that influence its overall health ranking. For example, Washington County has strengths in the areas of "health behaviors," and "social and economic factors," where it ranked third and second respectively. The Rankings also indicate that Washington County is at-risk pertaining to the "physical environment," where it ranked 26th. Physical environment is a measure of environmental factors such as air quality and access to healthy foods.

"The health of a community depends on many different factors, including individual health behaviors, education and jobs, the environment and quality of health care," reports Kathleen O'Leary, Public Health Administrator for Washington County. "We can improve a community's health through programs and policies. For example, people who live in communities with smoke-free laws are less likely to smoke or be exposed to second-hand smoke, which reduces lung cancer risk."

"Even though we ranked among the best in the state for some factors, these rankings are far from ideal and do not meet the goals we have set for our county," according to O'Leary. "This report is important because it helps us identify factors that are making our residents healthy or unhealthy and helps us understand how we compare to other counties in the state. With this knowledge and by working with community partners, we can take steps to improve health."

In 2009, Washington County HHS drafted a strategic plan that includes promoting the health and wellness of county residents as well as addressing the social, health and human impacts of urbanization in Washington County. The release of the county health rankings will assist the county and community partners in the development and implementation of community wide programs that focus on improving access to healthy foods and physical activity for all Washington County residents.

The 2010 County Health Rankings is produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Under a three year grant, the Rankings will also be produced each year for the next two years.

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